By Doug Creamer
For the Salisbury Post

A little over a week ago, I was enjoying a quiet morning on my front porch. It was overcast and the temperature was nice. A light rain began to fall. I went into the house for something and when I opened the door to return to my quiet sanctuary —it happened. Kaboom! With no warning, lightning struck close.

The intensity gives you the shakes. I closed the front door and decided I was fine in the house. A few minutes later, I heard the sirens start. I listened to determine what direction they were heading. The siren kept getting closer until I looked out the front door and saw the fire truck parked on my street.

I went out to saw the firefighters walking around my neighbor’s house. The lightning had struck a tree in his backyard. My neighbor used to have a light attached to that tree. The lightning rode the wire down into the ground, exploding the soil, and then rode the wire into his house. He had multiple breakers pop and was naturally concerned that there might be a fire. The firefighters checked everything thoroughly and his house was fine.

In all the excitement, I didn’t realize that I had a few breakers pop in my house, too. When I noticed some lights not working, I went out and flipped the tripped breakers. Then our wired smoke detector went off. I went over and asked one of the firefighters if he would mind checking things out for us. He determined that the lightning had just fried our smoke detector. We were fine and safe, too.

We had more fun that day when we found out the lightning had messed up the cable in our community. Evidently, when lightning strikes the ground, it runs into the cable lines. The cable guy said that all kinds of parts were destroyed in our community. They had to change a part on our house, too. My neighbor needed new cable parts inside and outside his house. One lightning strike did a lot of damage. Thankfully, our homes are safe.

The lightning strike changed things instantly. This got me to thinking how quickly things can change. The phone rings and you receive bad news. You are doing everything right while you are driving your car and a deer runs out, or someone hits you and you have an accident. It only takes a second and everything changes.

In those crazy moments in our lives, it is hard to imagine that God is in control. We naturally ask, if he is in control, how could this happen? One of the first things we need to understand is that there is an enemy out there who hates us, who wants to destroy us and our faith. He has a bag full of tricks to ruin us. He is the master of doubt, worry and fear, and he loves to give us all big helpings of discouragement. He is the architect of terrorism. He infects people with hate and jealousy. His mission is to kill and destroy.

God, on the other hand, loves us. He wants the best for us. He wants us to live in harmony, peace and prosperity. He wants to encourage your soul and offers shelter from the storms of life. He wants to protect us and has a plan of escape from the enemy. He is our father who is filled with faith, the author of hope, the giver of perfect love.

So when you have a kaboom in your life, run to God. He will keep you in the palm of his hand as long as you don’t run away. He sees the best in you and knows how to turn every situation around for his glory. There is nothing you are facing that is too difficult for him. He promises to walk with you through your circumstances. Sometimes God calms the storm around us. Other times, he gives us supernatural peace so we can walk through the storm with him.

I want to encourage you to give God your kaboom moments. Trust him to see you through it. Know that there is not one detail that has escaped his attention. There is no room in the boat for fear when you are in the boat with God. Turn your eyes on Jesus and let the circumstances disappear in his wonderful presence. He knows how your story ends, trust him with every detail. Let his peace and love envelop you and guide you. God’s got you and he’s got it all in control.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com .